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CALIFORN 



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PLACER COUNTY 

CALIFORNIA 

A CONTINENT WITHIN A COUNTY 



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ISSUED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 
PLACER COUNTY 



COMPILED BY A COMMITTEE SELECTED BY THE 
AUBURN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 



Printed by 

FRANK L. SANDERS 

Lincoln, California 



Foreword 



THIS BOOKLET was printed by direction and autliority of tlie 
Board of Supervisors of Placer County, and compiled by a com- 
mittee selected by the Auburn Chamber of Commerce. Its pur- 
pose is to furnish impartial and reliable information to those who 
may wish to be informed about the location, climate, soil, water 
supply, transportation facilities, population, industries, production, 
natural resources and opportunities of Placer County. 

Although Placer County is the banner deciduous fruit county of 
the State, it still contains a great deal of unimproved land well 
adapted to the growing of all kinds of fruit, grain and alfalfa; just 
as good land as that now under cultivation and offers just as good an 
opportunity for the making of thousands of happy and prosperous 
homes, as was the opportunity for the thousands we already have. 

To the investor, we offer large tracts of unimproved land await- 
ing subdivision and development; to the fruit grower and farmer, we 
offer a variety of soil and climate capable of producing almost every 
tree and plant produced by Mother Earth; to the stockman, we offer 
the mountain range in summer and the warm sheltered foothills in 
winter; to the miner we offer miles of unexplored ancient river 
channels, rich with placer gold, and hundreds of undeveloped gold 
bearing quartz ledges from which in ages past, our streams and can- 
yons drew their flow of river gold, that gave to this county the name 
of "Placer." To the man who wishes to retire from active life, we 
offer a situation free from the cold blizzards of the North and the 
violent storms of other sections; a climate and scenery second to none; 
a broad minded and intelligent civilization, and every form of modern 
convenience within his reach, in fact, a place where any man can sit 
beneath and enjoy "his own vine and fig tree." 
Very truly yours, 

JOHN A. LIVINGSTON, 
RAGLAN TUTTLE, 
ROBERT .lOXES, 

Committee on Printing. 



<' 



PLACER COUNTY 



Lies between the latitude of 38 degrees 40 minutes and 39 de- 
grees 30 minutes North, about the same as the State of Delaware 
and Southern Italy. Its direction is northeast and southwest. It 
is about 100 miles long and of varying widths, from 10 to 30 miles, 
the course and distance being defined by the course of the 
rivers which mark its boundaries. It extends from about 
8 miles from the Sacramento river over the summit of 
the Sierra Nevada Mountains, to the Nevada State line. Just 
above Auburn, between the Bear and American rivers, the 
county is very narrow, being about 8 miles across. Above 
Auburn it widens out into two divides, lying between the Bear river 
and the Middle Fork of the American river. These are known as 
the Dutch Flat or Railroad Divide, and the Forest Hill Divide. The 
southwestern portion is more regular in shape than the part just 
described. This section contains the foothill and level agricultural 
lands, the southwest two-thirds being on the pi? ins proper, and the 
southeast one-third being the foothill and fruit district. 

Area 1,395 square miles. 

Population 1910, 18,237. 

Population per square mile, 13.1. 

Auburn, County Seat, population 1910, 2,376. 

Temperature. 

Highest-105 (1912) Lowest-22 

Normal Rainfall 35 inches. 

Of the area, 810 square miles are mountainous, 450 foothills, and 
the remainder valleys. The entire extent faces toward the west, ex- 
tending from an altitude of some 40 feet on the plains in the west- 
ern portion, to over 7,000 feet at its eastern boundary line, embracing 
nearly every variety of climate known in the State. At the eastern 
boundary separating it from the State of Nevada, is Lake Tahoe, 
one of the most picturesque lakes in America. The topography of 
Placer County, is as irregular as its shape. Imagine the whole 
Atlantic coast from Labrador to Tallahassee, incorporated into one 
county, and one will have a fair idea of what may be found in 
Placer, exaggerated as to size, but not as to the great variety 
of climate, elevation, soils and resources. As to the latter, the 
whole Atlantic seaboard can hardly equal the endless variety to be 
found within the borders of this county, which rivals Florida in the 
quality of its oranges, excels New Jersey in peaches, equals the 




Placer County Court House, Auburn, Cal. 

New England states in its granite quarries, and compares favor- 
ably with Maine in the quality of its lumber. 

From an elevation of about 2500 feet up to the summit of the 
mountains snow falls in the winter, light at the lower edge of 
the line, and increasing in depth as it ascends the Sierra. Here 
is a strip of territory from the snow line up to an elevation of 
3,000 feet, particularly adapted to the apple, pear, and a great variety 
of vegetables. This county, for years has produced, annually, from 
one-third to one-fourth of all the deciduous fruits shipped to Eastern 
and foreign markets, for consumption in the fresh state, out of the 
entire state of California. Its shipments last year, 1912, were 2,900 
carloads of 24,000 pounds each, being about the average of the last 
five years. These consisted in the order named as to quantities, of 
peaches, plums, pears, cherries, grapes, apricots, etc. In addition, 
besides strawberries, blackberries. Loganberries, raspberries, etc., vast 
quantities of these fruits were shipped by express to nearer markets. 

WESTERN PLACEK 



The western or valley portion of the County, lies, as we may 
say, on the floor of the great Sacramento Valley of which it is a 
part. The land is practically level, broken by an occasional willow- 




riiuer County High Schtx 



fringed creek flowing toward the Sacramento river. The soil is of 
the same alluvial composition as the rest of the valley, and is well 
adapted to the growing of all kinds of grain, alfalfa, frviit and veg- 
etables. 

Heretofore most of this land has been held in large tracts rang- 
ing from one to ten thousand acres, the average farm being about 
1200 acres, and farmed mostly to grain, with occasional large 
stretches used as pasture. The grain is sown in the fall and early 
winter, and the abundant I'ainfall of the winter and spring months 
always insures a good crop, without irrigation, which is harvested 
in the early summer months, when combined harvesters, drawn by 
traction engines, or strings of from twenty-four to thirty-six mules, 
or horses, are a common sight. 

A great many of these large farms that are owned by old time 
settlers, are being subdivided into smaller tracts, and sold to new 
settlers, at very reasonable prices. For instance, good valley land, 
the same as is being sold in other parts of the state for from $100 
to $250 per acre, can be bought in Western Placer at from $50 to 
$75 per acre, but it is going fast and will not last long at these 
prices. 

Water for domestic use can be easily secured from bored wells, 
at a depth of from 20 to 30 feet, while a well bored to a depth of 




leeing: Station at Roseville, Placer County 



from 100 to 150 feet will furnish an abundant supply for irrigation. 
Heretofore, in the old days of wheat and mules, irrigation was very 
little practiced, but with the advent of alfalfa, hops and dairying, ir- 
rigation is a necessity, consequently the bored well, the gasoline, or 
electric pump are coming into general use. 

As will be seen by looking at the map on inside cove>- page the 
main line of the Southern Pacific traverses the full length of the 
county, and the Shasta Route traverses the Western part. The prin- 
cipal towns in this section, are Roseville, Lincoln and Sheridan, and 
the new State Highway, now under course of construction, will pass 
through all of these towns. 

ROSEVILLE 

So named because of the "Rose", the most beautiful of all 
flowers, which grows in this locality with surprising ease, attaining 
a size and beauty rarely known elsewhere, was one of the many 
sleeping villages of the Sacramento valley, up to and including a 
portion of the year 1906, and was called and spoken of as the 
"Junction" of the Northern and Eastern routes of the Southern Paci- 
fic. Today it is one of the great railroad centers of the West. To 
show the wonderful growth of Roseville, we give some figures ob- 
tained from the Assessment Book of 1912. The assessed valuation 



for the yeai- 1912 was $895,550, as against one fourth of this amount 
in the year 1905. The population was then 250, today it is over 3000. 
The town at that time, had one grocery store, in connection with 
which was the postoffice, a livery stable and a butcher shop. In the 
year 1906 came a change. The Southern Pacific realized the many 
advantages of Roseville as a terminal and commenced active opera- 
tions. As a result of these, Roseville has machine shops capable of 
turning out everything needed in the manufacture of freight cars, 
with the exception of the largest castings, and these are done in 
Sacramento, only 18 miles away. About 400 men are constantly em- 
ployed in the construction of these cars, besides a great number of 
others who are employed in and around the round-houses, of which 
there are two, each one capable of housing 32 engines at one time. 

Roseville is on the main trunk of the new State Highway, for which 
an appropriation of $18,000,000 was made by the State of California. 

This now runs North from Sacramento through Roseville, but 
arrangements will soon be made for a lateral East to Auburn, the 
County seat. 

A $10,000 Carnegie library was finished last year, and is being- 
stocked with the latest reading matter of all kinds. 

The Pacific Fruit Express has located in Roseville one of the 
largest pre-cooling plants in the United States. Many carloads of 
fruit are sent here to be pre-cooled, preparatory to their trip east, 
from all parts of the Sacramento valley. 

One of the largest institutions in the county is the Plar-er County 
Winery Company, located at Roseville. The stock of this plant is 
held almost exclusively by local grape growers, and assures them, 
under contract, a most substantial price for their grape?, the ex- 
penditure for grapes, for the year 1911 alone amounting to over 
$42,000. This plant crushes annually, at vintage time, from 4,000 to 
5,000 tons of grapes of the finest varieties obtainable, all grown in 
the immediate vicinity of the winery. Several thousand acres are 
planted to wine and table grapes, and a vineyard in full bearing will 
produce from $100 to $150 per acre. 

Land can be purchased at prices ranging from $30 to $75 per 
acre, and in any quantity desired. On such lands, a man engaged in 
diversified farming, realized $2,680, from hay, grain and poultry, 
grown on 100 acres, during the year just ended. Another man sold 
$4,400 worth of grain and hay cut from 90 acres, in one cutting, while 
the 40 acres adjoining, brought in an income of $1,200 net from 
melons. After the melons were harvested, the land wa.^ sown to 
grain in the same year. 

Peaches, almonds, plums, prunes, figs and other fruits do exception- 
ally well in this locality. Peaches produce from $150 to $350 per acre, 
according to the price obtained in the market. These trees begin 




IJirilseye View of IJncoln, I'liU-er County 



to bear in the fourth year, but the owner can make his acreage pay 
from the start by planting melons, potatoes, etc., between the trees. 
This can be done till the trees grow so large as to cover the ground. 
Almond growing is considered the best industry of its kind, as the 
land is especially adapted to almond culture. One acre of almond 
trees in full bearing will produce about two tons, which sell, at 
from $250 to $300 per ton. The Nonpareil variety is the best to 
plant, as these nuts bring the highest price. Plums and prunes do as 
well here as in any part of California. A plum grower, one-half 
mile from Roseville, produced $400 per acre. These plums were sold 
crated at seventy-five cents per crate. 

Fig growing can be made a profitable business, as one does not 
have to rely on the mai^ket for the disposal of the fresh fruit, but may 
sun-dry the entire crop of figs and dispose of them at a good figure. A 
young fig orchard near Roseville produced $125 per acre last year 
which was realized on the sun-dried figs. 

When it is considered that the figures quoted are from crops 
grown in this section, without irrigation, those figures would in many 
cases be doubled with irrigation. It has been demonstrated during 
the last year that water can be had in large quantities through 
pumping plants. The Whitney Estate Company, extensive orange 
growers, three miles north-east of Roseville, have recently developed 




storing llu' llarve>t at Uiu-olii, Pliu'er County 

an artesian well, furnishing a 7-inch flow. The fact that artesian 
water may be had, together with the assurance of the South Yuba 
Ditch Company, that their system of reservoirs will enable them to 
furnish irrigating waters to this entire district, promises great activ- 
ity in the near future. 

LINCOLN 



Known as the "Clay City" is situated on the line of the Shasta 
Route of the S. P. R. R. nine miles north of Roseville and twenty-eight 
miles from Sacramento, is a thriving up-to-date town of 1500 inhabi- 
tants, with broad clean streets. Lincoln has a municipal water sys- 
tem, a complete sanitary sewage system, fine Grammar and High 
schools, an up-to-date public library, wide awake newspaper, three 
hotels, a bank, three churches and all lines of business are well rep- 
resented. 

At the present time the people of Lincoln and vicinity have tak- 
en steps to build a first-class cannery, which will be in operation by 
next season. 

One of the finest and largest deposits of potter's clay on the Pa- 
cific Coast is at Lincoln. Here is located the great plant of Gladding, 
McBean & Co., the largest of its kind west of Chicago. Manufac- 













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Tort ion of l*la<'er .\ iirserit's Near l^inooln, I'lacer County 



turers of all kinds of sewer and drain pipe, tiling, terra cotta, chim- 
neys, lining partitions of every description, flower pots, pressed 
brick and the finest and most elaborate designs of architectural terra 
cotta. This company has all of the modern appliances for handling 
the raw rhaterial and the finished product. They employ several hun- 
dred men all the year round, which makes Lincoln one of the best 
markets for fruit, farm, or garden truck in the county. Not only 
are these various clay products manufactured at Lincoln, but the 
Lincoln Clay Products Co., which owns a large deposit of fine clay 
makes a specialty of shipping and supplying clay to other potters 
throughout the state. 

There is also a deposit of the finest quality of glass sand here, 
as well as a deposit of low grade coal. 

The country surrounding Lincoln is of the same general char- 
acter as the valley portion of the county. Although a great deal of 
this land is well adapted to horticulture but very little is 
so used at present, it being mostly devoted to general farm- 
ing, which, although it has not been painted in such glowing colors 
as some other lines of industry, has many good bank accounts to 
its credit. Here the farmer can have a rotation of crops, growing 
practically all the year round; his stock requires very little shelter 
and can range in the open pasture continuously. The cold blizzards 



of winter and the violent storms of summer are unknown iiere; stock 
of all kinds do remarkably well and are exceptionally healthy. Hog 
raising is a very profitable branch of the stock business in this sec- 
tion, as well as turkeys and other poultry. In fact, this is a section 
where diversified farming of every description can be carried on both 
comfortably and profitably. 

Nestled in the foothills of the Sierras, a short distance east of 
Lincoln are the Orangevale, Fruitvale, Gold Hill and Mt. Pleas- 
ant fruit districts. The Orangevale district has an exceptionally fine 
belt of deciduous fruit orchards, and here is located the great nursery 
of the Silva-Bergtholdt Co., one of the largest in the state. 

Gold Hill, once a famous mining district, is now famed for its 
fine orchards. Nestled along the south slope of a spur of the Sierra 
foothills is the Mt. Pleasant district. It contains not only many 
fine deciduous fruit orchards, but also one of the best citrus belts 
in the country, in fact, a citrus belt that will compare favorably with 
any in the state. Here oranges ripen as early as in any por- 
tion of the state, without any exception whatever, and the records of 
the last thirty years prove the district to be practically immune from 
danger by frost. At present there are only a few orange groves 
in this district, but considering the quality of the soil; the early ripen- 
ing of the fruit; the advantage of the early market; the immunity 
from scale and insect pests, and the abundant supply of water for 
irrigation, together with an ideal climate, it would seem that this 
section is bound to become one of the best early orange growing 
sections in California. 

SHERIDAN 

A town of some 200 people, is situated eight miles north of 
Lincoln, on the same railroad and the same State Highway. 

Sheridan has a good general store, hotel, lumber yard, postoffice, 
grammar school and church. Up to a short time ago, Sheridan was 
a sleepy village, where the farmers from the surrounding country 
were wont to gather and discuss the "weather," crops and neighbor- 
hood gossip, but as in other parts of Western Placer, the large tracts 
of practically idle land adjoining the town, have changed to more pro- 
gressive owners; subdivisions are being sold, homes built and orchards 
planted and Sheridan has had more activity in real estate during 
the past year than any town in Western Placer. 

The land adjoining the town is well adapted to general farm- 
ing, fruit growing, dairying, and poultry raising. The foothill sec- 
tion, a short distance east of Sheridan, contains some exceptionally 
fine fruit land, some portions of which are particularly well adapted 
to citrus culture. In this direction are the Goss tract. Clover Valley 




NewcuNlle in rruit Seaison 

tract and the Washington tract; all new subdivisions being fast 
settled up, as well as the Wright electric farms on the west, where 
electric pumps are being installed. 

Sheridan offers special inducements to the small investor with 
limited means, as well as opportunity to the man of wealth. 



THE FRUIT SECTION OF PLACER COUNTY 

This section of Placer county, in which are situated the towns 
of Rocklin, Loomis, Penryn and Newcastle, and consisting of an area 
of 102 square miles, enjoys many advantages unequalled elsewhere. 

Notwithstanding the comparative smallness of the district, and 
the fact that but a small part of it is set to orchard, or vineyard, it 
produces a very large proportion of the deciduous fruits shipped from 
the State of California, besides several hundred cars of ripe fruits 
and berries, and a rapidly increasing acreage of oranges and lemons. 

Placer county fruits ripen early and are of a superior quality. 
The warm foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, sloping to the 
west, with the decomposed granite soil, so particularly adapted for 
fruit, combine to make the fruit of this section superior to that grown 
elsewhere. Our plums, peaches, grapes, pears and other fruits have a 
fine flavor, and high sugar content. 




PRINCIPAL FRUIT PRODUCTS 



PEACHES have always held first place in this section, not only 
as regards acreage, but also in the amount of fruit raised and ship 
ped. At present, the output is about 45 per cent of the total shipment 
of deciduous fruit. 

Preference is given to the Triumph, Elberta, Crawford, Lovell, 
Levi and Phillips clings. Prices for green fruit vary from 40 to 85 
cents per box, at point of shipment, while clings for canning com- 
mand from $30 to $65 per t^n. 

PLUMS are next in importance and are becoming more and more 
plentiful each year. All kinds of plums are raised to perfection, and 
the prices average close to $1 per box at the point of shipment. 

GRAPES have a standing next to plums in relative tonnage, wine 
and table varieties being extensively grown. Table grapes bring 
from 75 cents to $1.75 per crate, and wine grapes from $15 to $25 
per ton. 

PEARS come next in relative importance, and are grown over a 
large area and do equally well in suitable soil in any locality, or al 
any elevation up to 3,500 feet, and bring a cash price of from $1.00 
to $2 per box at point of shipment. 

CHERRIES do particularly well in this section and command 
a cash price of from $1 to $1.50 per box of 10 pounds. 




Placer Couuty Orchard Scene Near Loom! 



BERRIES of all descriptions do well in our soil, but the Placer 
"Dollar" strawberry is in a class all its own. It has an exceptionally 
fine flavor, and is of a firmness that will permit long distant ship- 
ment that no other variety will begin to stand. Strawberries are 
packed in crates containing 15 small baskets, the crate weighing 
about 17 pounds, and they bring from $1 to $2.50 per crate at the 
point of shipment. Loomis, Penryn and Newcastle ship about 75,000 
crates per season. 

ORANGES: There is a large acreage in navel oranges, mostly 
young trees, and more being planted from year to year, as the results 
obtained from older trees become known. The Whitney Estate Co., pio- 
neers in orange growing in Placer county, have 150 acres planted to 
navel oranges, of which only 15 acres are mature trees. The mature 
trees have been bearing for several years and have conclusively proved 
the adaptibility of this section for citrus production. During the sea- 
son of 1910, eleven car loads of 380 boxes each, were harvested from 
15 acres. The oranges sold in the eastern markets for $2.34 a box 
above freight charges and commissions. It costs about 80 cents to 
pick and pack the fruit and load it on the cars, which left the grow- 
er a profit of $1.50. The 15 acres produced 4,180 boxes, and the 
total profit was $6,437.20, or $429.15 per acre. Placer county 
oranges are from six weeks to two months earlier than those of 




Southern California, an advantage which gives us the choice of an 
early market, and corresponding high prices. 

At Rocklin, besides the fruit industry, granite quarrying is the 
principal industry; there being some twenty-seven quarries in opera- 
tion, with possibilities for many more. The only State in the Union 
that produces granite as hard as Placer county is Vermont. The 
stone used in some of the finest public and private buildings west of 
the Rocky mountains came from the Rocklin quarries. The quar- 
ries at Rocklin employ some five or six hundred men, and the average 
wage of the stone-cutter is five dollars per day. 

Carnation growing has proved a remunerative and easy pastime 
to several persons engaged in that business near Loomis. Here the 
florist is able to do in the open air what the eastern florist must 
do under glass. The expense of carnation raising is comparatively 
small and the profits are large. Loomis carnation plants are ship- 
ped all over the United States. 

Adjoining the town of Loomis, is the government experimental 
station ror fig raising, from which Capri figs for fertilization are 
shipped to all parts of the coast. 

The prosperous condition of our people, the farmer and orchard- 
ist, as well as the commercial wealth of our community will make 
itself apparent to the most casual observer, and will compare favor- 




View Between 





lar and Colfax 





er County 



ably with any section of the United States where prosperity depends 
upon the productiveness of the soil. Our people have good homes, 
drive good teams, or automobiles, not the result of inherited wealth, 
accumulated from other sources, but the direct revenue of their 
orchards, or farms. A rural telephone system practically covers the 
district, and brings the farmer in close touch with his neighbors, the 
towns and cities. Rural free delivery brings the mail and daily paper 
to the door; the schools and churches will compare favorably with 
those of any other rural section and the roads are inferior to none. 
In the matter of railway transportation, particularly as applies 
to our principal products, Placer county enjoys the exceptional ad- 
vantage of being on the most direct transcontinental railway route. 
Fruit loaded into refrigerator cars late in the afternoon, has but 
to pass from this county, and is well on its way to the Eastern mar- 
ket, while fruit from other sections is not yet out of the state. 

THE AUBURN DISTRICT 

Auburn, the county seat and chief town of Placer County has a 
population of 2500, and is situated on the Ogden line of the Southern 
Pacific, 36 miles from the state capital. It is therefore most con- 
veniently situated with reference to markets, and for communications 
in all directions, as will be clearly seen by looking on the map. 

There are many towns in California which boast finer buildings 
and more elaborate improvements, but none which surpass in natural 
advantages for home building. Its altitude, fine air, mountain water 
and magnificent scenery, together with sightly and well drained build- 
ing locations, make it unrivaled in this respect. From its many hills 
may be seen, stretching for hundreds of miles on the eastern Horizon 
the snow-clad Sierras, and on the west the broad valley of the Sac- 
ramento, in which the river glistens like a thread of silver. Nearer 
by, in the foothill valleys, and climbing to the tops of the hills, the 
orchards and vineyards, pastures and fields of grain, make a panorama 
upon which the eye is never tired of dwelling. 

Auburn, spread over its seven hills (or more nearly a dozen) 
climbing from the miners' Old Town, in the ravine, to the crest of the 
American canyon, two miles distant, is a true urbs in rus, a city in 
the country, and if not the "loveliest of the plain", is surely the love- 
liest city of the hills. Its beautiful court house, built entirely of 
Placer county stone and brick, and framed by tall eucalyptus, makes 
a picturesque acropolis, and behind, as seen from the Nevada street 
station, may be glimpsed the pretty little Methodist church, and on 
still higher ground the Catholic church, a fine new edifice of stone, 
replacing the building half a century old. Other churches are the 
Baptist, Congregational and Episcopal, the latter remarkable for its 
excellent choir. 




Olive Grove on Aeolia Heights, Auburn, Placer Countj 



The Placer County High School, occupying a commanding loca- 
tion on the south side, is perhaps the building of which Auburn has 
the most cause to be proud. With an exceptionally able faculty this 
school has a wide reputation. The cadets have a military instructor 
and are annually inspected by the adjutant general. 

On another hill is the public library, with a fine collection of the 
latest literature and periodicals and a useful reference department. 
The library also has the advantages of the state library circulation, 
so that the students of Auburn can make use of the great historical 
and literary collections of the state. 

Auburn is the business town and fitting-out place for the mines 
and lumber camps of the mountains, and is the junction point for 
Mountain Quarries, with its million-dollar plant and railroad. It has 
two banks, two postoffices, two newspapers, two hotels of high repu- 
tation and a variety of commercial houses and shops. In the office 
of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce may be seen in a large frame, 
the sixty-five ribbons and medals awarded to Placer county at the 
last State Fair, for excellence, or superiority in product of the field, 
orchard, mine and forest. And it may be added that no other county 
took half as many prizes as this county of Placer. It is a story 
told in blue and gold. 

The soil of the Auburn country, extending from the beautiful 




\ iew Between Newcastle and Aiiburr 



Long Valley on the south, to Christian Valley and Clipper Gap on 
the north, and westward to Edgewood, Rock Creek and Lone Star, is 
classed by the department of agriculture (which has selected it as 
one of the types of California soil) as Sierra red-clay loam, and is 
the result of centuries of decomposition of the granites, schists, vol- 
canic and other rocks of the mountains above and is rich in lime, 
potash and other fertilizing material. Here oranges, pomelos and the 
tender lemon are successfully grown, as are the fig, pomegranate, apri- 
cot, almond, etc. The principal market fruits are peaches, plums, 
pears, cherries and small fruits. Poultry keeping and dairying are 
profitable occupations and the business is growing. 

The water question is always an important one in California. 
The great reservoir of the foothills is located by nature in the can- 
yons and forests of the high mountains, where the snov/ lies deep till 
late in the summer; therefore, such a thing as drought is unknown. 
From the Bear, American, and Yuba rivers, ditches fifty miles or more 
in length, conduct the water to the mines and the agricultural dis- 
tricts, insuring a never-failing supply of water for irrigation. The 
rainfall here averages thirty-five inches, mostly from Sep- 
tember to May, and most farm crops are not given irrigation. The 
v/ells are from 30 to 50 feet deep, with the best of soft, cold water. 

The average temperature for winter is 46.9 (the lowest for the 




Gold Dredger at Work Near LooiniH, Fla<er ( oiinty 



winter 1911-12 was 22 degrees); spring 57 degrees; summer, 74.5 
degrees; and the fall, 64.3 degrees. Frost is seldom experienced be- 
fore the middle of November, nor later than the first of March. 

As regards health, the foothill region is noted for its salubrity 
and it has been said, and no doubt truly, that for the normal man and 
woman, it is harder to be sick here in Auburn, than to keep well. 

This is not a "colony" nor a "rancho" but one of the oldest 
eastern settlements in California. The country has no hard- 
pan or alkali, either in soil or people, and both are the kind that 
improve with long acquaintance. 

THE COLFAX DISTRICT 

What is known as the Colfax district takes in that part of the 
county embracing Applegate, New England Mills, Lander, Colfax, 
Gold Run, Alta and Towles. 

It is in this section that the Bartlett pear takes on that color 
which has made the red-cheeked Bartlett famous all over the country. 
It is here that the Grand Duke and Hungarian plums arrive at that 
state of perfection that makes them sought after by the connoisseurs 
of fruit, and it is here that the flame Tokay grapes form themselves 
into bunches that are unrivaled for color and sweetness. The apple, 
peach, olive, walnut, and chestnut all do well in this section. 




Mamp Mill :it the J'eiuli Miiu', Opiiir, Placer Coiinly 



There is something in the soil, something in the climate, some- 
thing in the sunshiny days and cool nights, that goes to insure the 
raising of fruit that will carry well, look well and taste good. The 
iron in the soil seems especially beneficial for the production of high 
class fruit, while the rainfall varying from 35 to 70 inches per season, 
averaging, say 45 inches, insures plenty of moisture. It is an admit- 
ted fact that what is known as mountain fruit carries better and does 
not decay as fast as fruit that is grown in the valleys, along the 
river banks, or where it is heavily irrigated. Again, the underlying- 
bed-rock of the Colfax district, allows the water to percolate, and 
permits the conservation of moisture by thorough cultivation. 

Situated as the Colfax fruit section is, at an average elevation of 
about 2200 feet above the level of the sea, above the fog banks and 
among the pines, with an atmosphere that is pure; with water that 
flows through rocks fed by snows of the high mountains, not only 
are fruit growing conditions perfect, but health conditions also. 

From a scenic point of view, this region is unexcelled. From 
the tops of its hills, views of the grand Sierra Nevadas, the Marys- 
ville Buttes and the Coast Range are to be obtained, and on very clear 
days, even hoary Mount Shasta raises its head in the distance. Look- 
ing in one direction peak after peak of the Sierras, clad in their man- 
tle of eternal snow, rising ten thousand feet or more above the siia. 



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show themselves in all their grandeur. Looking in another direction 
the vast plains of the Sacramento valley, dotted with farms, ham 
lets and cities, make themselves clear, and in another direction, the 
dark Coast Ranges shuts out the view of the mighty ocean, that rolls 
and tosses itself beyond. 

From the brow of Cape Horn, near Colfax, and Lovers' Leap, near 
Alta, the American river flows like a silvery thread two thousand feet 
below, while from the tops of other hills, Giant Gap shows how the 
mighty efforts of nature has rent the mountains aside, and given an 
opportunity for the snow fed streams to splash and dash themselves 
in their eager efforts to join the waters of the Sacramento river, 
irrigating the lands through which they flow, and then resting in 
peace, in the bosom of the mighty ocean. The water in the streams 
and the rainfall of the seasons give to this foothill section all the 
moisture that is needed for a thorough and profitable cultivation of the 
soil. 

There are other means of making a livelihood beside that of farm- 
ing and fruit raising. In days gone by, the gold mining industry 
was what made the Colfax section famous. Today it is the golden 
fruit raised in this section that brings it renown. In the past the 
hardy miner skimmed the ground and took from it the golden nug- 
gets that were easily obtainable. In the future the scientific miner 



24 




Minimer Scene in Foothills of 



will delve into the earth, follow the channels of the old river beds, and 
"Work the seams of its gold bearing rock. 

The waters of the American, Yuba and Bear rivers carry with 
them energy of unlimited pow^er for electricity and other purposes, 
while the innumerable little streams, that are fed by the mountain 
snows, vv^ill some day be controlled and harnessed to serve the pur- 
pose of producing mechanical power, and irrigating the fertile lands 
through which they flow. 

In days gone by the forests between Emigrant Gap and Truckee 
supplied a great portion of lum^ber that was used in Northern Cali- 
fornia in the building of its towns; its houses and its railroads. Many 
millions of feet were cut from the trees that grev/ between theae 
places, and while large sections are now denuded of their lumber pi o- 
ducing assets, there still remain miles and miles of trees, that only 
await the coming of transportation to make them accessible to the 
millman, and add their wealth to the untold millions that still re- 
main on the ground. 

The country from Applegate to that wonderful sheet of water 
known as Lake Tahoe, is looked upon as one of the most enjoyable 
regions for summer resorts that is to be found in California. Every 
year thousands of people resort to Applegate, Alta, Towles and Soda 
Springs, there to enjoy a stay in the pine forest; to breathe the pure 





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Walnut Trees on the Forest Hill Divide 



balsam-laden air; to fish the gamey trout in the numerous streams 
and lakes and to hunt the fallow-deer in the valleys of the Sierras. 
During the summer months, when the residents of the valleys and 
plains or other parts of the state become enervated with heat, they go 
to these mountain resorts and after a few weeks sojourn, their cheeks 
again take on the ruddy hue of health, and they return to their 
homes, invigorated in body and mind. 

Perhaps no more wonderful sight can greet the eye than that to 
be seen by the traveler, who, on his journey to California has just 
left the deserts of Nevada behind him, crossed the summit of the 
Sierra Nevadas, and then descends into the Sacramento valley. Each 
mile of the journey opens up a varying vista. First comes the view 
of everlasting snow, then glimpses of lakes and streams. Again one 
passes through mighty forests, and after leaving Towles, passing 
through Alta, Gold Run, Colfax, Lander, New England Mills and 
Applegate, a succession of vineyards and orchards meet the 
eye; some of them perched on the mountain sides and others partially 
hidden away in little valleys. 

To the homeseeker opportunities are here offered as good as 
those to be found anywhere. To the sick here awaits the lifegiving 
ozone of pure atmosphere, and to the business m-an, all those oppor- 
tunities to be found in a progressive section. The day is rapidly 




r>0-Veiir-OI(l Apple Tree on (lie Forest Hill Divide 

approaching when all the hills and valleys will be cleared of their 
chaparral and covered with wealth-producing trees and vines. The 
Colfax fruit section invites the world to come and view its scenery, 
enjoy its climate and share in its prosperity. 

FOREST HILL DISTRICT 

At the junction of the North and Middle Forks of the American 
river, about two miles east of the town of Auburn, and between these 
streams, begins that famous mountain spur, known as the Forest Hill 
Divide. It rises abruptly from the water's edge to a height of about 
fourteen hundred feet, a narrow ridge at first, but soon widens to a 
plateau several miles broad, with a gentle rolling surface, cut in 
places with deep, narrow, steep-walled canyons. 

The contour of the country rises on a nearly uniform grade from 
the forks of the rivers, to about twenty miles east of the town of For- 
est Hill, and forty miles east of Auburn. 

The divide is thirteen and one-half miles wide at Forest Hill. In 
the eastern part of the divide, the country rises rapidly in wild, pictur- 
esque grandeur to the summit of the Sierra Nevadas, and then 
among highland lakes, and snow-veiled peaks, through wild passes 
in the unexplored forest, to Lake Tahoe, the eastern border of Placer 
County. 




>f Lake Talioe. 



•larer County. 



Although the Forest Hill Divide has 50,000 acres of farming 
land, it is principally known for its mineral wealth, its gold mines 
being exceedingly rich and extensive; in fact, the whole Divide, from 
the sides of the Sierras to the western boi'der, is one vast placer 
mine. 

The following is from the report of the U. S. Geological Survey, 
together with that of the State Mining Bureau: The total yield of 
gold of the placer mines of Iowa Hill and vicinity was $10,000,000; 
from the mines of Forest Hill, within a radius of four miles, was 
$35,750,000, of which $10,000,000 was mined within one-half mile of the 
postoffice, $1,500,000 being taken from a patch of ground on the Jer- 
sey claim, about 800 feet long and 300 feet wide. The more distant 
camps were equally rich, bringing the total amount of gold produced 
in placer mining on the Forest Hill Divide, to more than sixty mil- 
lion dollars. Data of the gold by quartz mines is not obtainable. 

In addition to gold, other valuable minerals are found on the For- 
est Hill Divide, among them being graphite, chrome, magnatite, man- 
ganese and zinc. There is a large deposit also of magnesia being work- 
ed at Iowa Hill. Asbestos is found in large quantities at Giant Gap, 
also near the town of Iowa Hill. Rubies and garnets have also been 
found in some places. 



28 



Verde-antique marble, as well as other rare ornamental stones are 
found in many places in the western part of the district. For almost 
the whole length of the Divide clay beds, some of which will be of 
great economic value, overlay the gravel beds of the ancient rivers. 
This includes porcelain, plastic, potters and fire clay. There is also 
a volcanic ash exposed in Young America Canyon that is said to make 
an excellent fertilizer. In the western part of the Divide is a large 
body of the purest limestone. The rhyolite, abundant near Forest 
Hill, makes a first class building stone. 

The inducements for farming on the Forest Hill Divide, and in all 
the foothill regions of eastern Placer county, are many. The settler 
in the foothills of the Sierras will find the most favorable conditions 
for a man of small means, not to be surpassed anywhere in the west. 

A railroad is now projected up the Divide, and may soon be ex- 
tended to Forest Hill. 

Here is land, water, timber and climate awaiting the settler. Noth- 
ing more is wanted except population to make this a paradise. The 
climate varies with the altitude, from west to east; mild in the 
western and central part; the eastern part gives less heat in sum- 
mer, with deep snows in winter. The temperature seldom falls below 
zero at coldest parts. 

The soil is for the most part a lava loam, of great fertility, in 
many places 50 feet deep, especially adapted to fruit, nuts and vines. 

Although not recommended as a citrus belt, an orange and lemon 
orchard at American Bar, ten miles east of Forest Hill, has been bear- 
ing fruit for nearly 40 years,. Another orange orchard bore fruit for 
many years, until the ground was mined away. There are orange trees 
growing wild on the slopes of the Mayflower Canyon. 

This is an ideal apple, pear, prune and cherry country, and peaches 
succeed in places; currants and berries of all kinds grow here to per- 
fection. Grapes of all the different varieties are equal to any that are 
grown in California. 

Figs have been grown all over the divide since the pioneer days; 
some of the largest fig trees in California can be seen here. The prunes 
grown here are large, firm and sweet and the trees bear heavily. 

English walnuts, almonds, chestnuts, pecans and filberts have 
been grown here since the first settlements were made, and some of 
the largest and oldest nut trees on this coast, can be seen on the 
Spring Garden ranch, a few miles from Forest Hill. 

Palm trees will grow anywhere below an altitude of 2,200 feet. 
Tobacco of good quality has been grown here for years. Hops, claimed 
to be the equal of the famous Bohemian, can be grown anywhere. 
Potatoes and all kinds of vegetables thrive; alfalfa and clover do well, 
with some irrigation. Wheat, oats and barley grow well. 

There is timber enough for fuel and farm use on all the land, but 




111. I.aUc Tall 



on a great part of the level land, the large trees have been cut down 
for use in the mines. 

There are several towns on the Divide. Forest Hill, altitude 
3,200 feet, on the crest of the ridge, overlooking the American river, 
nearly half a mile below, and commanding a fine view of the snow- 
covered Sierras, surrounded with its forests of pine and oak, with 
wide streets, and beautiful homes, it is one of the prettiest towns in 
California. 

There are no fogs, and the climate is equable, the cold air being 
drawn into the canyons at night, and the warm air from the valley 
comes up the plateau, maintaining a constant circulation. Malaria is 
never known in this region. 

Oleanders, and many other semi-tropical shrubs grow without care 
in many of the gardens. The soil is especially fine for rose culture. 

Forest Hill maintains two fine schools, churches, several fraternal 
societies, five stores, two large hotels, some fine halls, telephone, elec- 
tric light, city water and all the appurtenances of a modern town. 
Owing to the contour of the country, all roads from the valley, and 
the eastern part of the divide, center at Forest Hill, which is the nat- 
ural commercial center of the divide. 

Michigan Bluff, eight miles east of Forest Hill, is a famous min- 
ing town, overlooking the American river, with fine homes, gardens 




ike Tahoe, Placer County 



and orchards, surrounded by good land, forests and mines; it con- 
tains the usual appurtenances of a good American town. 

Iowa Hill, famous for its gold mines, is situated in the center of 
some of the oldest gold-producing mines in California. The finest of 
soil surrounds it on every side; the climate is one of the best in the 
state, and the many fruit trees, planted by the miners in the early 
days, are witnesses to the unequal productiveness of its deep lava soil. 

Yankee Jims, three miles from Forest Hill, once a prosperous 
mining town, is now an agricultural district. 

Regarding the land on the Forest Hill Divide, there are several 
thousand acres of open public land, suitable for farming, and also, a 
great deal of mining land. The C. P. R. R. company owns some land 
and large tracts of land are owned by non-residents. Much of this 
land can be bought cheap at present, but the advent of the railroad will 
make it one of the most valuable farming sections in California. 

The mining methods include drift, river, placer and quartz, and 
Placer's drift mines are among the largest in the world. In the moun- 
tains of Placer county the scenery is magnificent. From the mountain 
peaks of the rugged Sierras can be obtained views as grand and awe- 
inspiring as can be seen in the world-famed Alps. Canyon after can- 
yon, nesting on their bosoms limpid lakes, fed by myriad streams and 
sparkling waterfalls and fringed by eons-old pines, greet the eye on 



every side. In these regions the angler's heaven is to be found, for in 
every stream and lake, trout abound. Here the huntsman will find 
grouse, mountain quail, doves, wild pigeons, and deer, and those who 
wish to test their skill and courage against large game, can do so with 
the bear and California lion. 

On the eastern end of Placer is Lake Tahoe, famed the world 
over. A little inland sea, thirteen miles in width and twenty-three in 
length, 6,240 feet above sea level and 2,000 feet in depth; around it 
towering mountains, whose highest peaks have an elevation of 11,- 
120 feet; a lake whose color changes from day to day and from hour to 
hour, sometimes the hue of the jade; again of the purple; again when 
the breezes gently ripple the surface, of silvery gray. One on watch 
for the glow of the dawn along the Nevada shore, will ever remember 
it; there is a faint shifting of the purple shades of night, a slaty gray 
light across the water, through which is dimly seen the outline of the 
mountains upon the eastern side; then there is a soft golden tinge 
where the sky and the mountains meet; then suddenly great rays of 
light shoot up from under the line of the horizon, illuminating the 
snows upon the peaks, and touching with pink the lower sides of the 
clouds. In a few minutes more the whole heavens are aflame; the 
Nevada shore is crimson; the snow-fields upon the summit of Mount 
Tallac glisten as though they were fields of gold; the middle height 
of the mountain is arrayed in saffron light, across which floats yellow 
wisps of clouds; the lower slopes are filled with purple shadows, 
which deepen every moment; the great trees along the shore seem to 
grow upwards and downwards, and the rock promontories hang sus- 
pended between the skies and the abyss. 

It is California's great mountain resting place. Here thousands 
go each year, from June to October, to the many lake resorts to enjoy 
the boating and fishing, or along the banks of the rushing streams, 
where gamey fish dart from pool to pool; find recreation and enjoy- 
ment and gain in health and strength. 



For copies of this Booklet apply to The County Clerk of Placer 
County, Auburn, California, or to the 

Auburn Chamber of Commerce, Auburn, Cal. 

Colfax Chamber of Commerce, Colfax, Cal. 

Newcastle Development Association, Newcastle, Cal. 

Loomis Chamber of Commerce, Loomis, Cal. 

Rocklin Chamber of Commerce, Rocklin, Cal. 

Roseville Chamber of Commerce, Roseville, Cal. 

Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, Lincoln, Cal. 

Or any of the various real estate dealers in Placer County. 



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